The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-03-04
ODD MEN IN THE WOODS.
Interesting Tales OF wisconsin Lumber
Choppers-Story OF Sailor BIN.


zone of the real geniuses met in the
woods" said Wisconsin lumberman
to New York Mail and Express re-
porter, ''was man whom we called
Sailor Bill, as he had been q sailor be-
fore he became a lumberman. He was
marked by long. ugly scar, reaching
from one eye across his nose to the cor
ner of his mouth. he was not over 35
years old, and was very intelligent
When he was sober he claimed to be q
Vermonter; when he was little under
the influence of liquor he said he was
born in Italy, and when he was more
than half seas over he invariably in
sisted that he was a full-blooded Irish
man, born in Dublin. He was the best
hearted man ever met His story was
very interesting. When 9 years of age
he ran away and went to sea as .
cabin-boy. For years he was knocked
and kicked about, but he pluckily kept
at it for eighteen years. During most
in French and Spanish and kept diary
of what he saw and experienced. The
way he came to leave the sea included
the story of his ugly scar. He was
boatswain of the ship he was with and
they were sailing from Melbourne to
San Francisco. Bad winds prevailed,
the passage was slow, and provisions
began 10 run short The captain began
to get scared and put the crew on short
rations. They rebelled, appointed Bill
leader, and resolved to take the ship.
He, as spokesman, accosted the mate
| and told him the men must have full
rations. He and the men were ordered
back to work, and at their refusal the
mate suddenly pulled out dirk-knife
and slashed it across Bills face The
two men clinched, and the next thing
was that the mate was dead. The cap
tain and several others were then tied
| up and the mutineers had the ship to
themselves. They managed to reach
San Francisco, and the moment they
touched the dock they jumped ashore
without fastening their vessel and scat.
tered as best they could. Bill then
went into the mining region, and one
| day was surprised to come across 9
notice that $500 was offered for his
head. He at once made arrangements
to change localities and drove a mule
team overland.
zone of the incest men met among
the lumbermen-you will be surprised
to hear of such man doing such work
was an Englishman who was an Ok,
ford graduate and belonged to one Of
the Oldest families. He was about %
years old, fine artist, and spoke foul
or five languages. He was a big, pow.
erful man, but u perfect gentleman al.
| ways, and was man whom all the
men looked up to. He prefers the life
| and follows it from choice. He is sure Of
enough property from his family tc
make him rich. He left his home be
cause of disagreement with his father
for taking the part of a brother who
had incurred the governors displeasure
He is q man of wonderful nerve, and
works as hard and as regularly as the
rest of the men at chopping.
"a very odd character and regular
daredevil was an Irishman named Viii
liam Seymour, whom we called Black
Bill because of his dark, swarthy com.
plexion. He was of medium size, blu,
remarkably powerful and a wonderful
chopper. / remember one day in
spring, week or so before we broke
camp, we were working near the river,
and the two men who sawed in two the
logs Bill chopped decided to run him
that is, to work so fast cutting up his
trees that he could not keep ahead Of
them. Bill saw What they were up to.
and then for TWO hours there was some
of the liveliest work ever done in those
woods. During that time Bill worked
like steam-engine, and for every cut
the two men made he chopped down a
| tree. 1t was a most remarkable per-
Torrance, and in the two hours he
chopped down about fifty trees, some OF
which we're as much. as two feet in
thickness. Bill was very popular with
the men and ever ready to lend help
ing hand. One day the foreman fell
off a log into the river and got under a
jam of logs, managing. however. to gel
to a spot where he could keep his head
out of water. Bill heard his cries. and
rushing over the logs in the jam sue
ceeded in guiding the foreman to 9
place where he could get out One oil
his peculiarities was that he would fire.
quently go out chopping in the snow in
his stocking feet"